Dentists&#39; gold-recovering drain attachment



June 27, 1939. H, R, HALL Er 2,163;837

. DENTISTS GOLD-RECOVERING DRAIN ATTACHMENT Filed Aug. 4, 1937 IN VENTOR ATTO 5 Patented June 27, 19739 v 'f i UNITED STAT-as eATEN-'r OFFICE DENTISTS GOLD-RECOVERING DRAIN ATTACHMENT Harold Rush Hall, Cleveland Heights, and George Washington Conner, Cleveland, Ohio Application August 4, 1937, Serial No. 157,300 i Somma (01. 209-41) Thepresent inven-tienrelatesto an attachment pipe 3 is adapted to t within the latter and adapted-to be quicklyandeasily-insertedinto-and within the drain opening'Z by means of the proremoved from a drain opening through which vision of the outwardly curved and ilared top gold and similar precious metals are likely to beportion 5. A funnel-shaped member 6 rits with- 5 4 carried by thedramagestream. f in the outwardly ared wall portions 5 and carries Thedevice'embodying theprinciple of our ina central tube 'I which is spaced from the inner vention, although generally adaptable to be used walls of the tubular member 4 and leads tothe in drains and drain outlets through which prebottom portion of the latter. A receptacle or concous metals are likely to be passed, isparticutainer 8 composed of a non-metallic material larly adapted to'useeinthepractice of `dentistry such as glass'isremovably secured and sealed. to 10J` where gold, silver and othervaluable metals, the inner Walls of the tubular member 4 by in /the form of lings, dust and minutefgrinding means of a 'sealing gasket or ring 9 composed and abrasive particles, arev washed down the of resilient material such as rubber. The glass drain ofya dental cuspidor or sink. Y container may be alternatively attached to the J` The general object of our invention is to prolarger tubular member as shownin Fig. 2, where- 15,v

vide such an attachment which can be readily in the glass container 28 has a recessed marginal inserted and removed from the drain opening and 'rim 29 adapted to engage with the punched out includes means for directing-`the drainage stream ribs or lugs 3Q on the outside ofi the largertubuf' through a receptacle olf-container in which there lar member 24. Slots SI` are provided in the v is locatedamaterial such as mercuryormercury top of the rim 29 so that the container 28 can 20a amalgam, which will readily occlude or alloy be moved past the lugs 30 and then rotated to. With the gold, silver and the like; and which hold the latter on the end of the tubular mem.- receptacle or container can easilybe removed ber 24 in the manner of a bayonet lock. In this from time to time from the drainywith the relast described construction, the smaller tubular 25 covered gold. Aiurther object of ourfinvention member 2l is of course continued down below 25,

is to provide means for reversing the-'flower theY the end of the outer tubular member 24.

drainage stream as it passes through the gold A quantity of liquid material, such as mercury recovering receptacle, so that the force of gravity or mercury amalgam which has an affinity for 3 can be utilized to augment the separating-and alloying or occluding gold, silver and similar and the like.- Y 8. A screen ring I2 is located just above the top..

To the accomplishment' ofl the foregoing and of the receptacle 8 and in the space between the: related ends, said invention, then, consists of the tube 'Iv and the outer tubular member d". Bame. means hereinafter lfully described and particuplates AI3 and I4, which are in the form of?` recovering action of the heavier particles of gold precious metals, is contained in the receptacle larly pointed out in the claims,the annexed drawrings, are attached '00 the Walls 0f the tubularv 35,5V

ing and the following description setting vforth member 4 and the tube 'I respectively, and. eX-. in detail certain structure embodying the intend through the space between the latter two vention, such disclosed'v means constituting, howelements. The baille plates I3 and` Illv are comever, but a few of various structural forms n posed of an amalgam, such as an alloy of copper 40 which the principle of the invention may be and mercury, and are preferably removably at- 40 used, tached to the walls of the tubular member t In said annexed drawing:- and tube 1 by means of a close t, so that they Fig, l is a vertical sectional view taken through may be removed and reinstalled from time to a device embodying the principle lof my inventime merely by forcing them out through the tion; and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detailed, sec bottom ends of the tube 'I and tubular member 45 tional view showing an alternative form of at- 4 respectively. Outlet openings I5 are provided tachment of the mercury container to the outer in the wall of the tubular member 4 adjacent the tubular member. top of the tube I and just below the bottom of the Now referring more particularly to the drawfunnel-Shaped member s,

1 5o ing, there is shown in dotted lines therein the The operation of the above described device is 50 bottom portion I of a dental cuspidor or sink as f0110ws;.. having a drain opening 2 to which there is at- The drainage stream enters the funnel-shaped tached the down-pipe or drain-pipe 3. A cylinmember 6 where it is conducted down through der or tubular member 4 having an outer di the tube 1 and thence into the receptacle 8.r As

5 ameter less than the inner diameter of the drain- Will be seen in the drawing, the lower end of the 55 tube 'l extends slightly below the liquid level of the mercury or mercury amalgam lll. As the drainage stream passes through the receptacle 8 and through the material i@ contained therein, its direction of' flow is reversed from downward to upward, as indicated by the arrows. In this manner the force of gravity tends to throw out the heavier particles such as gold and the like entrained in the drainage stream, so that the latter are retained in the receptacle 8. The drainage stream then proceeds in an upward direction in the space between the tube l and the outer tubular member l passing the screen i2 and the bailies i3 and l, which latter elements function to make the drainage stream turn at right angles as it ows in an upward direction above the top of the receptacle 8, whereby any additional heavier particles which might still be entrained in the drainage stream have an opportunity to settle down towards the receptacle 8. The screen lli serves the additional function of further supporting and locating the bottom portion of the tube 'E with respect to the outer tubular member The drainage stream nally passes through the outlet openings l5 into the drain pipe 3.

From time to time, say, at intervals of a week or so, the above described device may be simply removed from the dental cuspidor or sink I, merely by lifting it up out of the drain pipe 3. The receptacle 8 can then be withdrawn from the bottom of the tubular member Il and its contents removed and sent to an assay omce or similar agency. A new supply of mercury or mercury amalgam iii is again placed in the receptacle 8, the latter inserted into the bottom of the tubular member l which in turn is again inserted into the drain 2. The bafe plates i3 and l, composed of mercury amalgam, are also removed from time to time, since they will also collect particles of gold and precious metal which is not retained in the receptacle 8 and which might escape past the latter.

It will thus be seen that my above described invention provides an extremely convenient, easy to operate, and inexpensive means for recovering gold and other precious metals which would otherwise become lost and carried away with other waste material by the drainage stream. Due to the fact that my device can be simply dropped into the drain outlet or opening or" a cuspidor or sink, and will fit into various sizes of such outlets due to the provision of the flared end portion 5, it will be seen that no additional attachment means such as fasteners, threaded connections or adaptors are required.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the structure herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

We Vtherefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A drain attachment for recovering gold and similar precious metals from dental cuspidors and the like, comprising a tubular member adapted 'to be removably inserted in said drain,

. a receptacle in said member for material having vsaid flared upper end.

2. A drain attachment for recovering gold and similar precious metals from dental cuspidors and the like, comprising a tubular member adapted to be removably inserted in said drain, a removable, non-metallic receptacle mounted in the bottom of said member, material having an aflinity for gold and precious metals contained in said receptacle, an outwardly flared upper end on said member for engaging with the end ci said drain, a funnel-shaped member tting against said flared upper end, a tube carried by said funnel-shaped member and spaced from and located within the walls of said tubular member, said tube leading from the top to the bottom of said tub-ular member and having its lower end terminating in said receptacle.

3. A drain attachment for recovering gold and similar precious metals from dental cuspidors and the like, comprising a tubular member adapted to be removablyL inserted in said drain, a removable, non-metallic receptacle mounted in the bottom of said member, material having an ainity for gold and precious metals contained in said receptacle, an outwardly ared upper end on said member for engaging with the end of said drain, a funnel-shaped member tting against said ared upperV end, a tube carried by said funnel-shaped member and spaced from and located within the walls of said tubular member,

said tube leading from the top to the bottom of said tubular member and having its lower end terminating in said receptacle, and outlets in 'the walls of said tubular member located adjacent the upper end of said tube and below said funnel-shaped member.

HAROLD RUSH HALL. GEORGE WASH'INGTON CONNER. 

